


still, your smile is sparkling

by ohprongs



Series: malec au meet cutes [3]
Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AU, First Meeting, Gen, M/M, Malec AU, Pre-Relationship, alec can't handle alcohol, magnus can't handle alec, meet cute, possible trigger: mentions of vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-02 05:12:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6552400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohprongs/pseuds/ohprongs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>or, the ‘i met you last night when you were drunkenly patting my cat in my backyard at 3 in the morning and when i asked you what the hell you were doing you slurred something about cats being great and then you threw up on my feet and then fifteen minutes later you were passed out on my couch so that’s why you’re here right now also what the hell is your name and why were you patting a cat in a stranger’s backyard in the middle of the night’ au</p>
            </blockquote>





	still, your smile is sparkling

**Author's Note:**

> so the original prompt involved dogs and i almost did that because [this](http://49.media.tumblr.com/3cd31619c8b3bf0021450261720e532e/tumblr_o5dvy12WgW1qfh7two6_250.gif), [this](http://45.media.tumblr.com/c95e3653a89f33f4e1a194a12ad878e7/tumblr_o5dvy12WgW1qfh7two4_250.gif) and [this](https://www.instagram.com/p/BEKMasyhanh/?taken-by=matthewdaddario) but i restrained myself and kept it canon.
> 
> title from _lady grey_ by katzenjammer

Magnus is standing at his kitchen counter slicing a pink grapefruit when he hears it. A soft little moan, coming from the other room. A second sound, the shuffling of a duvet being rearranged, follows almost immediately. He slips the fruit from the chopping board into a bowl and finds a fork, deliberately lingering to give the boy - who’s apparently just woken up - enough time to process the fact that he’s slept in a stranger’s flat. 

He turns to walk into the living room, and instead finds himself face to face with the boy. Magnus makes a small noise of surprise, having expected to need to shake the boy from his couch later in the morning. The boy looks even taller in the doorway to Magnus’ kitchen than he had in the garden last night - well, in the early hours, really - and his arms are something to die for. Magnus takes a bite of fruit, chewing thoughtfully. 

“Morning,” he says.

The boy is staring at him, forehead crinkled. He opens his mouth a couple of times, and then stutters out a word or two. He clears his throat.

“What the hell am I doing here?” he asks finally.

Magnus raises his eyebrows.

“You don’t remember?”

This makes the boy’s face crumple and he manages to look anxious, guilty and apologetic all at once. 

“Um, no? I -” He moves to sit down at the kitchen table before apparently thinking better of it and stops awkwardly in the middle of the room. “What happened?”

“I was in bed,” Magnus begins, and the boy’s eyes shift to the side, then back to Magnus, “when I heard a noise in the yard. So I peered out the window and saw someone out there. I was about to call the cops when I noticed the person - you, darling - was patting my cat on the head.” The boys cheeks have been colouring steadily and he closes his eyes. “So I walked down to see what was happening. When I got there, I asked you - well, what the hell you were doing, really. And you looked up at me. You were so astounded and said, ‘Cats are _so_ good. We are so lucky to have cats.’ And then you threw up on my slippers.”

The boy covers his face with his hands and says, “Oh God.”

Magnus smiles. “I brought you up here and set you on the couch. I went to get you a glass of water and when I came back, you’d passed out. I let you sleep.”

“Oh God,” the boy says again, looking disturbed. “I’m so sorry. I - I’m just - I don’t - sorry -” 

“It’s fine,” says Magnus. “A little odd, I guess. But stranger things have happened.” He pauses, gesturing to the table. “You can sit down, if you like. I hope I haven’t made you uncomfortable by letting you stay here. If I have, I apologise, and you can leave any time.” He looks down at his fruit. “I know I don’t know you, but I wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed kind of - out of it.”

The boy stares at him for a moment. “No, it’s - it’s okay.” He sort of lunges forward and grabs the chair. As he sits, he says, “Thank you for looking after me. I’m Alec.”

“Magnus,” says Magnus. They’re silent for a minute. Just as Magnus is about to ask if Alec would like a drink, Alec speaks. 

“Can I meet your cat?” He glances down at his hands. “Uh, again?”

“Sure,” smiles Magnus. “He’s a bit temperamental at times, but he obviously liked you enough earlier. Chairman!”

Alec’s eyebrow lifts and he smiles at Magnus. It’s a slow, lopsided smile and it makes Magnus stomach do a somersault. 

“Chairman?”

“Chairman Meow,” Magnus tells him, and Alec’s smile widens. The cat comes trotting into the kitchen and winds himself around Magnus’ leg, head cocked in Alec’s direction. He lightly paws at Alec’s foot and then rubs his head against Alec’s leg. Magnus watches the scene with amusement. “He approves,” he says. “Can I get you anything?” 

Alec is stroking the Chairman’s head and looks up, biting his lip.

“No, it’s okay. I should probably leave. I’ve bugged you enough.”

“Alec, my cat has very good intuition. If he likes you, I should probably keep you around.”

Alec looks at him and then sucks his teeth. “Alright,” he decides. “Can I have a coffee please?”

Magnus waves his hands. “Coming up.” While he spoons coffee beans into the machine, he asks Alec why he’d been in the yard at three in the morning. He chances a glance backwards and finds Alec’s face is very red again. He grins.

“Um, I was a bit drunk,” says Alec sheepishly.

Magnus can’t resist a bit of teasing. “You mean you don’t throw up on people when you're sober?” he asks, poker faced.

Alec busies himself with scratching the cat’s chin. 

“It was my brother’s bachelor party and it all just - I don’t know. I don’t really drink much.”

Magnus nods and hands him a mug filled with creamed coffee. Alec gives his thanks and is about to drink when a bleeping noise comes from the other room and he starts. 

“Sorry,” he says, “I think that’s my phone. Probably my sister.” 

Magnus waves the apology away. While Alec tends to his phone, Magnus distractedly pets the Chairman, who is nudging his head against Magnus’ ankle. The boy seems interesting. Magnus supposes being drunk isn’t really a proper answer - it doesn’t explain why Alec chose his backyard, or how he got over the fence - but it looks like that's all Alec wants to give. Magnus doesn’t want to push it; it’s not his place. They’ve only just met. 

Alec appears in the doorway again, looking a little flustered. 

“I’m really sorry, but I've gotta go. Izzy - my sister - she’s coming over to my flat for breakfast. If she realises I stayed at someone else’s last night -” he blushes again but powers on “- she won’t let it go. You know what sisters are like.”

Magnus suppresses another grin. 

“I understand. Well, Alec, it was nice to meet you.”

Alec wrinkles his nose. He reaches for his coffee and gulps half of it down. “Was it? I was sick on you and passed out.”

Magnus does laugh this time, unable to contain it. “Well, last night, maybe not so much. But our talk this morning has been delightful.”

Alec smiles a bit and sort of puffs out his chest, looking pleased with himself. 

“Yeah.” He finishes his coffee hastily. “Um, maybe we could talk again? If I - maybe, if I give you my number - I mean, because I need to pay you back for your slippers." He glances around, then walks over to Magnus’ letter rack. He slides an envelope out and grabs a pen. “Can I?”

Magnus nods with a half-smile on his face, something pleasant simmering in his tummy at the sight of this adorable, rambly boy.

"I won't be as embarrassing next time. Probably,” Alec's saying as he writes. "Good. Right. I should go.” He takes a couple of steps into the living room and Magnus steps forward. The black digits against the white envelope make his heart leap. “Thanks, Magnus. I’m really sorry, again. I -” he stops himself saying something else. “I’m going. Bye.”

“Goodbye, Alec,” says Magnus, and he can’t wait for the next time they say hello.


End file.
